Chapter 706: Still Not Enough
A sharp tearing sound sliced through the air.
As Zhang Zhiyun's will surged, he activated the Yin Corpse Devil Swordplay. A streak of eerie, crimson sword light shot forth, aimed directly at Shen Anyu.
At that moment, Shen Anyu was still speaking quietly with Yu Guannan, his back partially turned, paying the incoming attack no mind whatsoever.
The ghastly light of the Yin Corpse Devil Sword plunged into Shen Anyu's golden soul and simply vanished, like a stone dropped into a vast ocean, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.
"Is this the terror of a Land Immortal? To block such a strike so effortlessly?" A tremor ran through Zhou Yunhu. Even as an underworld boss who had seen his share of violence, he couldn't stop himself from shivering in the presence of a being on the level of a Land Immortal.
But since his Young Sect Leader, Zhang Zhiyun, had not fled, he didn't dare move an inch.
Zhang Zhiyun's eyes were dark pools of shadow, yet his expression showed no hint of disappointment.
He formed a sword seal with his fingers, his lips moving in a silent incantation. Streaks of crimson energy, born from the Yin Corpse Devil Sword, began to crisscross the void. They carried the thick stench of blood, twisting through the air with menacing, malevolent grace.
The crimson sword-lights converged, weaving together to outline a single, bloody character in the air. It pulsed with an ominous aura, a glyph that radiated pure evil—the character for 'Demon'.
The terrifying, chilling presence of the bloody character startled even the distraught Yu Guannan, causing her expression to shift in alarm.
Shen Anyu, however, remained completely unconcerned. He finally turned to look at Zhang Zhiyun, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"This sword formation is quite impressive."
In such a short time, Zhang Zhiyun had already grasped a complex formation technique from the Yin Corpse Devil Swordplay—a method designed to allow the weak to overcome the strong, its potential power utterly terrifying.
Shen Anyu's smile deepened as he held Zhang Zhiyun's gaze. "Is this the source of your confidence, the reason you dare to stand before me?"
He let out a soft chuckle. "Too bad. It's still not enough."
Zhang Zhiyun's face was a mask of ice. His crimson eyes locked onto Shen Anyu as he spoke, his voice dripping with venom. "Then let's see about that. Tonight, I will sever your soul!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As Zhang Zhiyun's cold shout echoed, the 'Demon' character, woven from countless threads of crimson sword-light, erupted. It pulsed with an otherworldly strangeness and an overwhelming killing intent as it descended upon Shen Anyu's soul.
It seemed to move slowly, yet it arrived in an instant.
From Yu Guannan's perspective, the 'Demon' character seemed to blot out the entire sky, a mix of bloody sword-light that filled her with a deep, primal dread.
'What a terrifying move. Can Shen Anyu possibly block it?'
Yu Guannan's slender hands clasped together tightly against her chest. She found herself praying for Shen Anyu, a silent, desperate plea.
Just a moment ago, she and her elder brother, Yu Guanying, had been plotting how to deal with Shen Anyu and the Shen family. Now, her fate was inextricably bound to his.
The realization sent a storm of complex emotions through her. Shen Anyu had come to rescue her. Her own brother had entrusted her to him.
Yesterday's enemy… was now her future husband?
Her thoughts were a tangled mess, but one desire burned brightest in this moment: she hoped Shen Anyu would win.
He had to win!
...
Facing the bloody 'Demon' character that had appeared before him in a flash, a closer look revealed its true nature. It was a sword formation composed of countless strands of Yin Corpse Devil Sword Qi, carefully structured and impossibly dense. It was a technique that would force even an ordinary Land Immortal to treat it with the utmost solemnity.
But Shen Anyu simply stood his ground, shielding Yu Guannan behind him. He raised a single finger.
With a casual flick, he tapped a single point on the bloody 'Demon' character. In an instant, the entire sword formation, woven from the countless strands of the Yin Corpse Devil Sword, shattered and disintegrated into nothing.
"Too strong… Unbelievably strong!" Zhou Yunhu trembled from head to toe. He had felt a surge of hope when the bloody 'Demon' character had manifested, but seeing Shen Anyu obliterate it with a mere flick of a finger plunged him back into the depths of despair.
The Shen family's First Young Master standing before him was simply an unshakable mountain.
"So strong…" Yu Guannan's vermilion lips parted slightly, her phoenix eyes fixed unblinkingly on Shen Anyu.
Meanwhile, Zhang Zhiyun's face darkened instantly, though his gaze never left his opponent.
Shen Anyu smiled at him, shaking his head gently. "The sword formation is exquisite. You must have acquired an extraordinary divine art. Unfortunately, you haven't practiced it for long, and it is riddled with flaws. To think you could kill me with this… it's not enough. Still not enough."
"Zhang Zhiyun, your strength is quite good for an ordinary person. If we were to measure it in numbers, it would be over fifty thousand. My current minimum strength, however, is one million. And if my physical body were present, my power could increase by two more levels."
Hearing this, Yu Guannan's phoenix eyes sparkled. She stared at Shen Anyu, who projected an aura of absolute invincibility, and a thought bloomed in her mind. Perhaps… perhaps Shen Anyu truly could kill this monster before her. Perhaps he could avenge her, avenge her elder and second brothers, and avenge the entire Yu family.
'If… if Shen Anyu can truly do it, then what harm is there in being his concubine?'
Her gaze fell upon Shen Anyu's soul, radiating its brilliant golden light, and his incomparably handsome face. Her heart began to pound in her chest.
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Yu Guannan's favorability +3, plundering +9000 destiny value!]
...
[Ding! Child of Destiny Zhang Zhiyun's mind has been shaken, plundering +9999 destiny value!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Zhang Zhiyun is horrified, plundering +9999 destiny value!]
'Why is Shen Anyu so strong?'
That was the very question screaming in Zhang Zhiyun's own mind.
He stared intently at Shen Anyu, his heart a whirlwind of confusion. He had perfected the Yin Corpse Devil Swordplay and broken through to the late stage of the Heavenly Master realm. He had believed he possessed the power to contend with even a Land Immortal.
Shen Anyu had only appeared as a soul, not in his complete state, and yet he was completely immovable?
He refused to believe it!
He still had a chance!
Zhang Zhiyun's eyes glinted with a dark light. Streaks of energy from the Yin Corpse Devil Sword lashed out toward Shen Anyu, each one containing enough power to make a Heavenly Human expert tremble. The attacks came like a torrential downpour, enveloping Shen Anyu in a storm of crimson light.
Brilliant golden divine light radiated from Shen Anyu's form, blocking every single attack.
A series of clanging sounds resounded throughout the room, echoing for miles, like a furious hailstorm hammering a jade plate. The cacophony of impacts grew more numerous and dense, stacking upon one another until the very walls and floor of the Hilton Hotel suite began to crack and rip apart. The windowpanes had long since exploded into a shower of glittering fragments.
Down below, hotel staff and guests fled in terror, their eyes wide as they stared at the blood-red sky glowing above the top floor, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"What in the world is happening up there?"
"Are gods and devils fighting? It's too terrifying!"
"Don't be ridiculous! The top floor is occupied by the Yu family's First Young Master! He's a top VIP!"
"Should we go and see? What if something happened to the Yu family's First Young Master?"
"Bite your tongue! How could anything happen to him?"
Amidst the frantic discussions, the Yu family's guards charged toward the top floor. But they were stopped dead in their tracks, unable to get within ten meters of the suite. A terrifying pressure pushed them back, preventing them from advancing a single inch.
What exactly was happening up there?
It was a question on everyone's mind.
...
Up in the suite, Yu Guannan and Zhou Yunhu, who were fortunate enough to witness this battle between titans, were both wracked with anxiety.
'Shen Anyu is a Land Immortal, so he should have the upper hand,'Yu Guannan thought, her brow furrowed. Her phoenix eyes were fixed on her enemy, Zhang Zhiyun, when she noticed something was wrong.'He hasn't even made a real move yet, and Zhang Zhiyun can't even break his defense. So why isn't Zhang Zhiyun the one who's anxious?'
Zhang Zhiyun showed no sign of panic or any intention of retreating. Did he not realize he was facing a Land Immortal?
Or did he have another trump card?
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]